Bag or pouch



( NO' M0de 1.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. 1?. BEASLEY. BAG ORPOUGH;

No. 605,068. 7 Patented June 7, 1898.

' -"(ub'Mode1. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

1*..BBA-SLEY.

BAG OR POUCH.

Patented June 7, 1898.

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UN TED STAT PATEN Orr-ICE.

WILLI M F. BEAs Ev, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BAG OR POUCH.

SPEGIFIGATIQN'formingpart of'Letters' Patent No. 605,068, dated June 7,1898. Application filed November 6,1897. Serialllo..657,687- (Noinodeh)To all whom it may con/eerie.-

Beit known that LWILLiAM F. BEASLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Balti more,in the State of Maryland, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Bags or Pouches; and I'do hereby declarethe fol= lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descrip= tion of theinvention, such as Will enable others skilled in' the art to which itappertainsto makeanduse the same.

My invention relates to certain new and usefulimprovements in bags orpouches, such as can be used in the transportation of the mails; andithas for its object to provide an improved mouth-frame or closuretherefor which can be readily closed,locked,unlocked, and opened in theshortest time and with the smallest amount of labor and which will atthe same time so effectually close the mouth of the bag as to preventthe unauthorized removal of its contents; and'for these purposes myinvention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe several parts of which it is composed, as will be hereinafter morefully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,-

in which corresponding parts are designated by similar marks ofreference, Figure 1 is a perspective view of-a bag constructed inaccordance with this invention when opened. Fig. 2 is a perspective Viewofthe'same. when v8, 1895, I have shown, described, and claimed amouth-frame for a bag in which the folds of the several gussetsarefolded so that' the, intermediate gussets aref'olded betweenthe forwardand rear ones, the intermediate gus sets having a length of notgreaterthanhalf that of the forward and fear gussets, and in that case Ishow the gussets with vertical folds, and my present inventiondifierstherefrom in making the gussets turn upon an oblique fold, or, inother.;w ords,in. turning in the edges of the topofthe bag-between theforward' and'rear'fac'es,thereof.,

.As this invention relates only to the mouthof vulcanized fiber orsimilar material.

frame of the bag, I have not deemed it necessary to show in the drawingsmore than the upper part ofthe bag,

In the drawings, 1 and 2 indicate, respectively, the front and rear ofthe bag-mouth,

or, as I shall hereinafter call them,the front I and rear gussets. Ateach end of these and between them are formed two intermediate gussets 3and 4, the said intermediate gussets being connected to the front andrear gussets, respectively, by the inclined or oblique folds marked 5,the gussets 3 and 4 upon the same side being connected to each otherby-the fold 6, which is horizontal when the mouth is closed and verticalwhen it is open. It will be thus seen that these gussets 3 and 4 areformed from the corners of the upper edge of the bag and that the fold 6is but a prolongation of the side fold in the lower portion of the bag,the direction of the fold being reversed.

As it is desirable that the intermediate gussets 3 and 4 upon each sideof the mouth of the bag should both reach the medial line thereof, Iform upon the upper edges of the said gussets when the latter are openedprolongations or extensions 7, which form a continuation thereof towardthe middle of the- .by'ath'eynriayv be secured against movement,

and'for a similar purpose and to receive the locking mechanism I securesimilar plates 8 to the interior faces of the forward and rear gussets,these plates being preferably made The extensions 7 upon the same sideof the bag,

or those portions thereof which extend be yond the-edges of the gussetsof which they form a p'art,are connected together by a hinge and reargussets together and the intermediate gussets between them,Isecure tothe rear gusset and projecting forwardly from the inner face thereof apost which passes through a corresponding slot 10 in the forward gusset,upon the exterior of which it may be locked. This post 9 also passesthrough the recesses 11, formed in the edges of the extensions 7,whereby the extensions and the gussets of which they form a part areheld against lateral movement so longas the post is contained therein.For the purpose of permitting the rapid closin of the bag and to guidethe gussets into place these recesses are generally made with flaredends, the recesses upon the corresponding gussets registering with eachother when the bag is closed.

For the purpose of locking the bagthat is to sa v,for engaging theforward end of the post 9I by preference use the form of lock shown inanother application filed by me in theUnited States Patent Office on the0th day of April, 1896, which has been serially numbered 586,52, and assuch a lock is claimed therein I do not claim it in this application.The essential. features of such a lock are a hinged seal-cover 13, whichis hinged to the forward gusset and adapted to hold a seal over asuitable keyhole ll, which controls the lockingbolt 1 f, which engagesthe said cover when the latter is thrown down upon the keyhole. A secondlocking-bolt is also provided which engages the post (3 and serves tolock it.

As an additional means for holding the intermediate gussets firmlyagainst displacement I form female members in the exterior gussets andmale members in the intermediate gussets by cutting apertures orrecesses in the plates 8 and placing the material so removed therefromon the plate 7 and in a corresponding position, as is seen in theapertures 20, and I by preference overhang the bosses, as shown in 22,and undercut the apertures, as shown in 23,whereby when the bag isfolded the overhung port-ions of the former will be in positiveengagement with the plates 8, whereby the separation of the exteriorgussets from the intermediate ones will be prevented. It is obvious thatinstead. of overhanging one of the bosses, as before described, I cansecure or form upon the top thereof a locking-plate 2i, which will enterbetween the mouth of the bag and the exterior surface of the plates 8.This modification is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. In any case theboss is made of such a size as to prevent the introduction of aninstrument between the outer and intermediate gussets and upon one sideof the post, these cooperating with the horizontal folds 6 and theextensions thereof in the hinges 7 to assure the safety of the contentsof the bag.

I have shown in the annexed drawings the folds 6 as formed by a scam.This is not necessary; but I have found that by placing a series ofrivets 27 along such a fold it is rendered difficult to abstract thecontents of the bag, which might otherwise be done by the use of somesharp instrument to slit the folds 6.

The open position of the bag is shown in Fig. 1. In folding it theintermediate gussets 3 and l; are first folded down along the folds 5,as shown in Fig. 2, and the exterior gussets are brought together, theintermediate gussets folding 110w upon the folds lVhen the exteriorgussets have been fully closed, the post 0 will be engaged by the mainlocking-bolt 15 and the locking mechanism closed by the insertion of aseal and the throw ing down of the cover over it. p

In Fig.5 a form of the bag is shown in which the extensions 7 aresufficiently prolongated to project past the medial line of the mouthwhen the bag is closed, and in this case instead of forming recesses inthe said extensions I form holes 11 therein, through which thelocking-head passes, and reduce the thickness of the plates forming thesaid extensions where they overlap, as at 7, thus permitting the partsto fold compactly. It will be seen that by passing the posts through theholes 7 the former lock. the intermediate gussets against lateralmovement.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters latcut, is

1. A bag having a series of gussets around. its upper edge, theintermediate gussets being formed by folding in the edges of the bagandbeing provided with stiffened extensions toward the medial line of themouth, and folding flat between the exterior gussets, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination with a bag having a series of gussets, around itsupper edge, the intermediate gussets being formed by folding in thecorners of the bag and folding flat between the exterior gussets, thesaid intermediate gussets being stiffened, of male members upon two ofthe gussets upon each side of the bag, and female members upon thegussets opposite thereto, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a bag having a series of gussets around itsupper edge, the intermediate gussets being formed by folding in thecorners of the bag and folding flat be tween the exterior gussets, theintermediate gussets having stiffened extensions thereon projectingtoward the medial line of the bag, of means for locking the exteriorgussets together passing through the extensions on the intermediategussets, substantially as described.

f. The combination with a bag having a series of gussets around itsupper edge, the intermediate gussets being formed by folding in thecorners of the bag and folding flat between the exterior gussets, ofmale members on two gussets on each side of the bag, and female membersupon the gussets opposite to by the intermediate gussets are heldagainst" the gussets'having the male members, wherelateral motion andmeans for locking the exterior gussets together, substantially as described.

-5. A bag having a series of gussets around its upper edge,rtheintermediate gussets being formed by folding in the corners of the bagand folding flat between the exterior gussets, the intermediate gussetshaving plates thereon extending toward the medial line of they are heldagainst lateraldisplaoemenu'in combination with means for locking theexterior gussets together, substantially as described. V

7. A bag having a series of gussets around the upper edge thereof, theintermediate gussets being formed by oblique folds uniting them with theexterior gussets and being connected to eachother by a fold that ishorizontal when the bag is closed, the intermediate gussets folding flatbetween the exterior gussets, each of the intermediate gussets having astiffened extension projecting beyond. the edge thereof, the extensionsupon the adjoining; gussets being connected together beyond the edge ofthe latter by a con tinuation of the horizontal fold, substantially asdescribed. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

WILLIAM F. BEASLEY.

Witnesses: V

v VERNON M. DORSEY,

Jr. D. COUGHLAN.

